The invention relates to coin processing equipment and, more particularly, to coin sorters.
Coin sorters are used to sort and collect coins by denomination, such as penny, nickel, dime, quarter, half and dollar in the United States. Other denominations may be handled in countries outside the United States. In coin sorters, it has been the practice to attach bags or coin receptacles to collect the coins for respective denominations. As used herein the term xe2x80x9cbagsxe2x80x9d shall be understood to include all types of removable receptacles used to collect coins by denomination. The bags are sized and defined to hold a certain number of coins, such as 5000 pennies or 2000 quarters. This number or limit on coins in a bag is referred to in the technical field as a xe2x80x9cbag stopxe2x80x9d.
As the coins are being sorted, there is the problem of one of the bags becoming filled to the limit, at which time either the machine has to be stopped, or another bag switched into place to receive more coins of that denomination.
One method of counting coins and stopping the coin sorter based on bag limit counts is disclosed in Jones et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,514,034; 5,474,497 and 5,564,978. In these patents, the coin sensors are placed outside the exit channels for counting the coins after they are sorted.
Other methods for sensing and counting coins for bag stopping are provided in Mazur et al., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,299,977; 5,429,550; 5,453,047 and 5,480,348. In the Mazur ""977 patent, the sensors for totaling coin counts are located in each exit channel, so that the coins are effectively sorted before they are counted. In the Mazur ""550 patent, one of the sorting methods involves sensing the coins upstream of the sorting exits and monitoring the angular movement of the disk using an encoder. In the Mazur ""550 patent, mechanical contact sensors are disclosed as being positioned at a certain position relative to the width of a coin to detect the leading and trailing edges of a single denomination, or of less than all denominations, by physically contacting the coin. In one example, a single contact sensor is used in conjunction with an encoder which tracks angular movement of the disc to calculate a chord length of each coin to detect the denomination.
In the prior art such as Mazur ""550 patent, there has been a pre-warn sensing of the fifth last coin, and then a motor stopping sequence involving, a first stop, a slow speed jog and a final stop. As used herein the term xe2x80x9cexact bag stopxe2x80x9d means a bag stopping action which would cause the last coin for a denomination to be collected in a bag (or other receptacle).
The present invention is designed to provide a novel and improved approach for detecting coins and bag stopping, including stopping at exact bag stops. The invention is disclosed as an enhancement to a sorter of the type shown and described in Zwieg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,602 and offered commercially under the trade designation, xe2x80x9cMach 12,xe2x80x9d by the assignee of the present invention.
In this prior coin sorter, coins were identified by using an inductive sensor to take three readings as each coin passed through a coin detection station and these readings were compared against prior calibrated readings for the respective denominations.
Optical sensing of coins in coin handling equipment has been employed in Zimmermann, U.S. Pat. No. 4,088,144 and Meyer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,648. Zimmermann discloses a rail sorter with a linear photosensing array. Zimmermann does not disclose repeated scanning of the coin as it passes the array, but suggests that there may have been a single detection of the widest part of the coin. Zimmermann also does not disclose any processing of coin sensor signals. In response to detection of a number of coins Zimmermann operates an electromagnet to clamp down on a coin on a belt to stop movement of the coins. Zimmermann does not disclose any manner of braking a motor or conveying the last coin to a coin bag or receptacle.
Meyer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,648, discloses optical imaging of coins in a bus token collection box. Meyer does not fully describe, however, the resulting operations after a limit number of a coin denomination is reached.
The invention relates to a method and apparatus for utilizing optical imaging to rapidly count coins before they are sorted, and upon reaching a bag stop limit, either reducing speed or stopping a motor that causes movement of the coins in a coin sorting machine.
The method includes optically imaging at least a portion of each coin at a location upstream from sorting openings for sorting the coins and generating dimensional data for each respective coin; using the coin dimensional data for counting the coins by denomination for bag stopping purposes before said coins are sorted and counted for totalizing purposes; limiting further movement of the coins when said optical imaging produces data indicative of a bag stop limit being reached for a respective denomination; and detecting a last coin as it moves through a respective sorting opening.
The invention is applied in one preferred embodiment to a coin sorting machine having a coin sorting member with a plurality of sorting openings by which respective denominations of coins are sorted, having a coin driving member for moving the coins to the coin sorting openings, having a motor coupled to the coin driving member, and having a brake for stopping the motor.
The invention further provides a controller for receiving coin diameter data and counting each coin for bag stopping purposes separate from the counts maintained for totalizing the sorted coins. A main controller stores bag stop limits. When a bag stop limit is reached for a respective denomination, the main controller then transmits signals to stop, or reduce the speed of, the motor driving the coin sorting assembly.
The present invention is also capable of providing exact bag stop limits, where the machine is stopped or slowed down as the last coin in a bag is sorted into the bag.
In a further aspect of the invention, the coin sorting machine is stopped if the bag stop limit is reached for the denomination with a sorting aperture closest to the sensor. If the bag stop limit is reached for a denomination with a sorting aperture further along the sorting path, then the machine can reduce speed and then stop, or stop and be moved slowly (jogged) until the coin drops through the appropriate sorting aperture, where it is detected by the conventional coin count sensors.
One object of the present invention is to use an optical imaging system in place of the prior art mechanical sensors.
Another object of the invention is to provide a sorter for coin detection and bag stopping that does not utilize an encoder for tracking coins.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an enhanced type of contactless coin sensor assembly for both coin counting for bag stopping and detection of invalid coins for offsorting.
While the present invention is disclosed in a preferred embodiment based on Zwieg et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,602, the invention could also be applied as a modification to other types of machines, including the other prior art described above.
The invention provides exact bag stopping for a high speed coin sorter.